Fire Stairs | Safety
In a fire or an emergency, handicapped people have a huge disadvantage that could potentially be life threatening. There are codes about egress and safety when it comes to getting able-bodied people out of a building, however handicapped people are expected to go to the nearest fire stair and wait for someone to help them. After the 9/11 attacks there was thought of how to provide more safety to handicapped people in emergencies. For example, areas of refuge to wait for assistance, staircases that are 48” minimum wide so that a person in a wheelchair can be carried down, means of egress elevators that would function in a fire, and protected exterior areas outside of the building to wait for assistance. It is not very often that these safety tactics are implemented into buildings. In most cases, the handicapped person is supposed to wait or hope a Good Samaritan will volunteer to help lead them to safety. Arthur Torrey, a Paraplegic, stated that fire stairs are, “one of the larger areas where those of us with handicaps are still treated as third class citizens.” I believe that safety, and establishing requirements for safe evacuation plans, should be one of the highest concerns for ADA codes.
https://www.unitedspinal.org/pdf/WheelchairFireSafety.pdf
https://www.quora.com/How-do-people-in-wheelchairs-safely-exit-a-multi-level-building-during-a-fire-evacuation-if-they-cant-use-the-elevator
